


A New Look

by AU_Ruler



Category: RWBY
Genre: Atlas - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Slash, Shopping, it feels like miles and kerry have given me a gift, jaune's outfit looks so inspired by cardin's, reformed Cardin Winchester, the outfit reveals have me HYPE, volume seven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 05:16:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20886728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AU_Ruler/pseuds/AU_Ruler
Summary: Cardin helps Jaune get warmer clothes for Atlas.





	A New Look

Jaune wasn’t sure how he got here, alone in a store in Atlas. Well. Not  _ alone _ . Cardin was with him. And just that would have been weird. But to top it off, Cardin was actually  _ helping _ him. He’d said something about making up for Beacon and how his outfit wasn’t ‘suited to the cold’. Before he could even get a word out, Cardin was dragging him from the group.

Since then, this was the first time Jaune could really get a look at Cardin. His former bully’s hair was a bit longer, now held back with a hairband. To Jaune’s amusement, he was now taller than Cardin by a few inches. He smiled, that sudden growth spurt was great even if he still looked lanky. Cardin was also wearing glasses now. Not sunglasses,  _ legitimate _ glasses. It was weird, but not too off-putting.

A shiver ran down his spine, and he absently rubbed his arm. Cardin wasn’t really wrong about his current outfit not being right for the cold. The snap of fingers had Jaune looking over at Cardin, who held up a heavy coat. He thought for a second. Shook his head. It was cold, but Jaune didn’t feel it was that cold. Cardin sighed, pushing his hair back.

“That’s like the tenth time, why don’t you just cut it again?” Jaune asked absently.

“What?” Cardin looked back from the rack he was looking through.

“You keep pushing your hair back. Why don’t you just cut it like before?”

Cardin shrugged, going back to the rack. “Like it better this way.”

“Then why wasn’t it like that at Beacon?”

“It wasn’t allowed.”

_ Wasn’t allowed _ ? Now that caught Jaune’s interest. “What do you mean it ‘wasn’t allowed’?”

Cardin huffed annoyedly. “Don’t remember you asking so many questions, Arc.”

“Don’t remember you being helpful,” Jaune threw back.

Cardin nodded with a quiet sigh. “Like I said, I’m sorry for that.”

Jaune didn’t say anything back, and they went silent again. It had been a long time since Cardin bullying him. Sure, in reality it had only been months. But with everything they’ve gone through it’s felt more like years. In that time Jaune had forgiven Cardin. He hadn’t forgotten Cardin, though.

“Why  _ are _ you helping me?” Jaune asked. But Cardin didn’t answer. He just made a triumphant noise as he pulled something from the rack. When Cardin turned around he had a short sleeved turtleneck in his grasp. Jaune smiled. “That’s it.”

By the time Jaune walked into the dressing room he was armed with a pair of new, dark jeans, the turtleneck, and a plaid blue fleece ‘just incase’. He’d also grabbed himself a new holster for his sword.

The fleece shirt didn’t work for him. But the rest fit perfectly. Like it was the style he’d been working toward all along. Weird as that may be. He exited the changing room with a smile. “So?” His arms lifted out to his sides, and he did a spin on habit from years of trying stuff on for his sisters. Cardin gave him a thumbs up, and they went to the register.

Cardin didn’t even give Jaune a chance to pay, slapping the money on the counter right after the cashier gave the amount. It boggled Jaune. Not only was Cardin helping, but he was  _ paying _ ? It didn’t seem right. But nothing bad had happened so far. And he knew how people changed. This just seemed to be Cardin’s way of showing that change.

Well, Jaune could show he’d changed, too. Maybe it was impulsive. But he was good at that. He grabbed Cardin’s wrist outside the store and started walking. Cardin immediately made a confused sound that made Jaune pause, and he looked back. The former boy’s face was pink. That was likely the cold. Even at Beacon Cardin had been rather pale. So heat had always been easy to see in his face. A flash of pink formed around Cardin, just like it used to. Back at Beacon. Before he’d know what that flash was. His aura. Jaune let go with a frown as it clicked in his head.

He didn’t know where anything was in Atlas. Cardin had lived here for the past couple months. If anyone should lead, it was him. “Sorry, you’re right.”

“What?” Cardin asked.

“You should lead, I don’t know where anything is here.”

Slowly, Cardin nodded. “Right. … Where are we going?”

“The hairdresser.”

“You want a haircut?” Cardin raised an eyebrow, looking him over. “Your scruff should be fine for the cold.”

Jaune tried not to feel offended at his hair being called ‘scruff’. “Maybe, but I got new clothes so I figured maybe it was time to cut my hair.”

Cardin shook his head with a shrug, but led him to the hairdresser anyway.

Once there, Jaune asked the hairdresser to shorten his hair. As she worked, he noticed Cardin in the mirror, looking at his scroll. It was time to be impulsive. And maybe show that everything was water under the bridge. He asked her if she had any gel, and if she could gel his hair back. Luckily she did. After she was finished, he spent a moment admiring his new, spiker hair in the mirror. For an impulsive move, he was really pleased with it.

While Cardin was distracted, Jaune payed for the hair cut. Then he walked over to stand right in front of Cardin. At first he didn’t look up. Jaune cleared his throat to get his attention. Cardin looked up. And he didn’t say anything. Instead he paused weirdly. It made Jaune shift his weight between his feet, suddenly unsure.

“Does it look good?” Jaune asked with a hopeful smile. Cardin blinked, pushing his glasses up and sitting up, like he was getting a better look. His throat worked like he’d just gulped in sudden air. Then he nodded and gave him another thumbs up. For some reason the approval made him want to preen. He’d already felt good about this look. The approval only made him feel  _ better _ .

They left the hairdresser together. Outside the door, Jaune turned back to Cardin.

“Thanks for the help, Cardin.” Jaune held out a hand.

“Sure, Arc.” Cardin took it, and they shook.

“I’m heading back to my team. Maybe we’ll see each other again.” Jaune stepped away.

Cardin nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Maybe.”

“Looking forward to it,” Jaune walked away. Wondering why he’d said that. And wondering why it felt like the truth.


End file.
